Spring Fever
by IndyGirl89
Summary: Spring has arrived in Arendelle and with it, spring colds and fevers. And the royal family is no exception. A two-shot about Anna and Elsa taking care of each other when sick.
1. Sick Anna

**Hey guys! I'm back! Did you miss me? :) Well, here's my latest story, which is actually just going to be a two-shot of Anna and Elsa taking care of each other while sick. This was requested by smurfsandharrypotterrock12. (But actually, I had this idea in mind before the request.) I had a hard time getting this up. At the end of last week, I had a good portion of this first bit written and saved on my computer, but then my hard drive crashed, and I had to get it replaced. I didn't think to save my unfinished chapter on an outside source, like a flash drive, so I lost everything that I had already written. But over the weekend, I was able to re-type most of it from memory and save it on a flash drive. There are some bits in this finished version that are either altered or completely new, which were bits from the original that I couldn't quite remember. But I think it turned out well despite the difficulty. So anyway, this first one is Anna getting sick and Elsa taking care of her. Hope you enjoy! :) DISCLAIMER: I do not own Frozen or any of its characters, just the one OC I put in here.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Sick Anna**

Anna was sick. She hated being sick. Everything about it made her feel absolutely miserable: the headaches that pounded like a drum against her skull; the stuffy head that slurred her speech slightly when she spoke; the coughing that racked her slender frame; the dry, scratchy throat that seemed to get no relief no matter how much water she drank; the sore, aching muscles that screamed in protest every time she tried to move.

But the worst parts were the fevers and chills. She could never seem to get warm. She would throw a good half dozen heavy quilts and comforters on her bed, but they did little to no good. She would eventually end up curling herself into a ball, shivering uncontrollably until she fell into a fitful, fever-induced sleep.

Of course, it was usually her own fault she got sick in the first place, either staying outside too long in cold winter weather or getting caught in the rain and not taking her wet clothes off right away when Elsa told her. She knew her sister meant well and was only looking out for her, but she couldn't help feeling a little annoyed. After all, she could take care of herself.

But this was one of those times when, despite her determination to prove otherwise, she absolutely could not take care of herself. Unfortunately, though, there was no one around. As it was Sunday, most of the castle staff, including Kai, Gerda, and Dr. Olsen, the family doctor, had the day off; Elsa was out in the village somewhere on her weekly visit; Kristoff and Sven were out on a delivery (Anna had protested this multiple times in the past week, saying she didn't understand why Kristoff had to work on Sunday, when he should be spending time with his family, but Kristoff had just shrugged and said, "Ice doesn't deliver itself"); and Olaf…..well, she didn't know what Olaf got up to when he wasn't around. So it was safe to say that Anna was alone in the castle.

It was almost noon, but Anna was still in bed. It was common knowledge in the castle that the princess slept late, so everyone usually left her alone to wake herself up. If she needed to be up early for something important, like a meeting, then Elsa would be the one to do the waking. But today, she just didn't feel like getting up. She curled herself into a tighter ball, desperately trying to get warm. She debated for a while on going down to the kitchens for some hot cocoa, but her fever was making her feel lightheaded, and she didn't think she would make it without collapsing.

Eventually, though, her stubbornness won out, and she dragged herself out of bed and over to her changing screen. Despite the warm, balmy temperature that was characteristic of Arendelle's springs, she pulled down her dressing gown and haphazardly pulled it on. Still shivering slightly in her thin summer nightgown and matching robe, she pulled one of the heavier blankets off her bed and wrapped it around herself before making her way to the door. It took her a few tries to get it open, but she finally managed it and stepped out into the hallway. She had barely made it to the stairs when she heard a voice from somewhere down below. In her fever-induced haze, she could just make out the vague outline of someone large.

"Hey, you're awake! Finally," said Kristoff, smiling as he started up the stairs toward her, his ice harvester boots clunking on each step.

Anna tried to move toward him, but her legs finally gave way and she toppled to the floor.

"Anna!" Kristoff ran up the last few steps and knelt down next to her. He placed a large but gentle hand on her forehead. "My God, you're burning up. We have to get you back to bed." He put his arms around her as though to carry her, but Anna weakly pushed them away.

"No," she croaked. "I can…..do it…..myself."

"Anna, you can barely stand, let alone walk," said Kristoff in a worried voice. "I'm surprised you made it this far."

Anna barely registered what he was saying. "No," she whispered. "Elsa….." But finally, the last of her strength left her, and the last thing she saw was Kristoff's worried face before everything went black.

* * *

When Anna awoke sometime later, the first thing she saw upon opening her eyes was a pink ceiling with a familiar flowery pattern around the edge. But as it was lost in shadow, she couldn't be sure. This confused her. The only place in the castle that had that pattern was her bedroom. But she couldn't be there, could she? She tried lifting herself up to see better, but her limbs felt heavy, so she flopped back onto a soft mattress.

It was then that she felt something cool and wet on her forehead. She reached her hand up and felt a cool, wet cloth on her forehead. Even more confused, she looked around the room she was in. Like the ceiling, everything else was also in shadow, the curtains having been drawn and the only light being that of a small lamp on the nightstand. But despite the dimness of the room, she was able to peer through the gloom and make out the vague outline of a vanity, a wardrobe, and a changing screen. So she was in her room, but how had she gotten there? She turned her head and saw a figure sitting near her bed. Immediately, she knew who it must be. There was no mistaking that hair.

Elsa was sitting in a chair near Anna's bed, her familiar platinum blonde braid draped over her left shoulder. Her head was resting against the back of the chair and her eyes were closed in sleep. A leather-bound book was held loosely in her hands. It appeared she had fallen asleep while reading. Anna tried to say her name, but it just came out in a croak.

"Elsa."

Elsa startled awake so suddenly, she sent sparks of ice from her fingertips. When she looked around and saw that Anna was awake, she leapt out of her chair. Her book fell to the carpeted floor with a muffled thump, but she ignored it as she hurried to her sister's side.

"Oh, Anna, thank God," she said, taking one of Anna's clammy hands in her pleasantly cool ones. "How are you feeling?"

"Throat…..hurts," Anna managed to croak.

"I'll make you a glass of water," said Elsa, and she did just that. She waved her hands and formed a delicate drinking glass out of clear, shimmering ice. She waved her hands again and filled the glass with ice cubes, which she melted into ice cold water. She helped Anna sit up before giving her the glass. Anna gulped the water down gratefully.

"Thanks," she said, speaking more easily now. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Just a few hours," Elsa answered. "Dr. Olsen was worried that with your high fever, it might be longer, but it looks like he was wrong. Of course, that might be because I helped." She smiled mischievously, and Anna instantly knew that Elsa had used her magic to help bring down her fever, and she loved her sister even more for that. But then Elsa's smile faded and turned into an expression that Anna knew all too well.

"You were worried, too, weren't you?" she asked softly.

"Oh, Anna, you have no idea!" said Elsa, taking her hand again. Tears started streaming down her cheeks. "Your fever was so high and your breathing was so shallow." She paused, and then she voiced her greatest fear. "I – I thought I was going to lose you again."

"You can't get rid of me that easy," said Anna, smiling. Elsa smiled back a little weakly. "By the way, how did I get here?"

"You mean you don't remember?" Elsa asked. She actually wasn't all that surprised that Anna didn't remember much, if anything, before her blackout.

"All I remember is walking somewhere and then someone talking to me," Anna said. "It sounded like Kristoff."

"It was Kristoff," Elsa confirmed. "He was the one who carried you back to your room after you blacked out." She was immensely grateful to him for that. She had to remember to thank him for that later. "He then managed to find me in the village and I summoned for Dr. Olsen. Which reminds me, he ordered that I inform him the minute you woke up. He'll want to perform a quick check-up on you."

"But I feel fine," Anna insisted.

"Anna, you have a fever, you're far from fine," said Elsa.

"But Elsa—" But just then, she was overcome by a bout of coughing that racked her chest. Elsa quickly refilled the glass with water and gave it to her. She downed it quickly and flopped back into her pillows.

"See?" said Elsa. "You're not fine. Now I'm going to fetch Dr. Olsen. Do you want me to have Kristoff come up here to keep you company while I'm gone?"

"I suppose," Anna mumbled.

"And if you're good and sit still during your check-up, maybe I'll talk to Gerda about arranging a supper tray for you," said Elsa, sounding like a mother placating her child.

"Fine," Anna mumbled again.

"Okay, I'll be back soon," said Elsa, making her way to the door. "Stay in bed." And she left, closing the door softly behind her.

As the minutes of Elsa's absence lengthened, Anna thought back to what Elsa had said. She had blacked out due to her high fever, and Kristoff had brought her back to her room. She tried to remember what had happened before that, and could vaguely recall that she had been walking somewhere. But where, and for what? With her head somewhat clearer than it had been this morning, she couldn't believe that she had tried to get out of bed for something in the state she had been in. True, it was part of her stubbornness streak, but usually when she got sick, she didn't feel like going anywhere or doing anything. What had possibly possessed her to get out of bed? The memory of where she had been going and why completely escaped her.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a light knock on the door, which opened to reveal a smiling face with a familiar mop of blonde hair framing it.

"Hey, you're awake," said Kristoff, opening the door wider and stepping into the room. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay," said Anna, smiling. "I don't think you should get too close, though. I don't want you to get sick."

"Don't worry about me," said Kristoff, sitting in the chair that Elsa had vacated and taking her hand in his. "I'm a big mountain man, I hardly ever get sick."

Anna laughed, but then was overcome by another bout of coughing. She waved at Kristoff to get her a drink and he obliged, taking a second to marvel at the fact that the glass was made of pure ice before holding it to Anna's mouth and helping her drink.

"Thanks," she said, flopping back onto her pillows again. "That was the worst one yet."

There was another knock on the door, and they looked up to see that Elsa had returned with Dr. Olsen. He was an older man, tall and thin with storm gray eyes and dark hair that was graying at the temples. He was carrying his black medical bag.

"Princess Anna, it's good to see you awake," he said, smiling. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay," Anna answered.

"Then I'm sure you won't mind if I perform a quick examination," said Dr. Olsen, moving over to the other side of her bed and opening his bag. "Sir Kristoff, if you wouldn't mind standing next to Her Majesty while I examine Princess Anna."

"Oh, uh, sure," said Kristoff, going over to stand awkwardly next to Elsa.

Dr. Olsen started his examination. First, he used a thermometer to check Anna's temperature. Then he shone a bright light into her eyes and ears. Next, he took out a wooden tongue depressor and had her open her mouth so he could check for swelling inside her throat. Finally, he took out his stethoscope and checked her heartbeat and breathing, having her take deep breaths when necessary. He gave her a spoonful of something from a brown bottle before he packed everything away in his bag and stood up.

"How is she?" Elsa asked in a worried tone when he reached her and Kristoff.

"She will be just fine, Your Majesty," said Dr. Olsen, smiling reassuringly. Elsa visibly relaxed and the worried look slipped from her face. "She still has a fever, though, so keep her in bed with a cool, damp cloth on her forehead to help bring it down. I've given her a dose of medicine to help with her cough, but water is really the best thing for her. Give her as much as she will drink."

"Absolutely," said Elsa.

"I will be back to check on her tomorrow," said Dr. Olsen, making his way back to the door.

"Thank you so much, Dr. Olsen," said Elsa.

"My pleasure, Your Majesty," said Dr. Olsen, smiling again before he left, closing the door behind him.

There was a moment of awkward silence, then Elsa said, "Well, there is something I have to take care of, but before I do, Kristoff, could I see you out in the hallway for a moment?" She opened the door and stepped into the hallway. Kristoff shot a worried glance over his shoulder at Anna, who smiled and nodded encouragingly, before following suit.

"Kristoff, this isn't easy for me to say," Elsa began, looking at the floor and wringing her hands, a nervous habit of hers. She took a deep breath before she went on. "But I want to thank you for what you did for Anna today. You didn't have to."

Kristoff just shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I guess you could say that I was just in the right place at the right time."

Elsa smiled at him. "You're too modest, Kristoff," she said. "You've done so much for my sister over the past year. You should be proud of yourself."

Kristoff's face turned red in embarrassment. He had received praise from Elsa before, but it still took some getting used to. Despite her outwardly calm and friendly demeanor, she could still be a little intimidating at times, especially knowing what she could do.

"I'm so glad Anna found you," Elsa went on. "You're a good man, Kristoff, and I trust you. I know you will show my sister all the love and respect that she deserves." With that, she turned and disappeared down the hallway, leaving Kristoff alone with his very confused thoughts.

* * *

Anna's fever broke early the next morning, but after another full check-up, Dr. Olsen ordered that she stay in bed for at least another two days, much to Anna's consternation and annoyance. She was already getting antsy and fidgety from having to stay in bed for an extended period of time. Luckily for her, though, Kristoff was more than willing to sit with her for a few hours, and even Elsa was able to take time out of her busy schedule to spend time with her.

Olaf was also a frequent visitor. The few times when Elsa and Kristoff had other commitments, like when Elsa had a meeting or when Kristoff was out on a delivery, one of them would send for Olaf. The little snowman didn't really understand what was going on or why Anna was in her room all day, but he was pleasurable company. He would tell Anna stories about the adventures he had with Sven in the marketplace, about the flowers he had smelled and picked, and the people he had met.

By the second day, Anna's cough had abated. She still had coughing spells, but they were fewer and farther between, and not nearly as severe as they had been the past two days. After yet another check-up, though, Dr. Olsen insisted that she stay in bed until it was completely gone, at least one more day.

At the end of the second day, after Elsa and Kristoff had retired for the night, Anna decided she felt well enough to take a turn around her room to try to regain some of her strength. But she was barely halfway around when she had another coughing spell. She managed to drag herself back to bed and fell asleep soon after.

By the end of the third day, Anna felt mostly like her usual self again and started pestering Elsa to let her out of bed. Elsa flatly refused, saying that she wasn't allowed out of bed until Dr. Olsen had given her a clean bill of health, and as he hadn't done that yet, she was to stay put. Elsa also pointed out that even though she was Anna's sister and the queen, she wasn't a doctor, and therefore had no more say in the matter than Anna did. That put Anna in her place and she dropped the subject, though reluctantly.

The next morning, Anna's cough had completely subsided and she declared that she was back to normal. So, at her request (or, rather, demand), Elsa once more summoned for Dr. Olsen. After one last full check-up, he declared Anna fit and healthy again. It was the best news Anna had heard all week. Dr. Olsen then gave her permission to be up and about, with strict instructions that she was to take a short walk every day to help regain strength and feeling in her legs. As Anna had been itching to get out of bed the moment she had insisted she felt better, this wouldn't be a problem for her.

Anna's walks started out as nothing more than quick jaunts around the castle. Then, as her leg muscles built up more strength, she moved outside to the courtyard and eventually the gardens. Elsa or Kristoff would walk with her, but it was mostly Kristoff who would accompany her. It wasn't that Elsa didn't want to walk with Anna all those times, it was that she couldn't. Summer was coming and she was stuck in trade meetings most days. Anna loved her sister, and even if she didn't like it, she understood when Elsa's queenly duties sometimes got in the way of spending time with her.

Truthfully, though, Anna secretly liked walking with Kristoff better. He was just the right height for her to lean on. He would hold her arm and help her when she stumbled. They usually had long conversations, talking about everything and nothing.

It was on one of these walks that Anna realized just how much Elsa and Kristoff had sacrificed for her this past week. It made her feel guilty that they would set aside important duties just to spend time with her and make sure she was doing well. She also realized that she hadn't yet said "thank you" to either one of them for being there when she needed someone to take care of her. This made her feel even worse. She had to find just the right opportunity to do so. Fortunately, just such an opportunity presented itself one night after supper.

The sisters and Kristoff were relaxing in the sitting room. A fire blazed in the hearth. Anna was cuddled up on the sofa with Kristoff and Elsa was curled up in a chair, reading a book. At Elsa's gentle but firm orders, Anna had a blanket on her legs. Even though it was now spring, it still got chilly at night, especially when the wind came down from the north. As Anna had just gotten over her cold, Elsa wasn't taking any chances of her catching something else. It was quiet, the only sounds being the crackling of the flames and the rustling of paper whenever Elsa turned a page. Of course, Anna was the only one who could never stand the quiet for long.

"Since we're all together, I just want to say something," she said.

Kristoff shifted so he was looking at her and Elsa put her book down.

"What is it, Anna?" Elsa asked, marking her place and setting her book aside.

"Well, I just want to thank you guys for everything you've done for me this past week," Anna said. "I know it wasn't easy and I'm sorry if I was a pain."

"Anna, you're not a pain," said Kristoff, gently and affectionately squeezing her shoulders.

"Kristoff's right," said Elsa, coming over to them and kneeling down in front of Anna. "You're not a pain. You have never been a pain and you never will be a pain."

"But I made you neglect your duties," said Anna.

"No, you didn't," said Elsa. "My advisors have been taking care of everything."

"But –" Anna started.

"I told them you weren't feeling well and that I needed to take off for a few days to look after you," Elsa interrupted. "They were more than happy to take over. Besides, it's nothing drastically important, anyway, just trade negotiations, and I can do those in my sleep."

"I know, but –"

"And seeing as I'm the Official Arendelle Ice Master and Deliverer – if that's even a thing – I was able to take off for a few days," said Kristoff.

"But this is your busiest time!" said Anna, looking at him in shock and surprise. "How will you earn money if you're not working?"

"Anna, since I met you, I haven't cared so much about the money," said Kristoff, smiling down at her. "I've recently come to realize that money isn't everything to me anymore. I'm just doing something I love, with the perk of getting paid for doing it."

"Haven't you always loved ice harvesting?" Anna asked, frowning in confusion.

"Of course," Kristoff replied. "But until I met you, I was really only doing it to scrape a living. It wasn't until after your sister's summer blizzard that –"

"What Kristoff is trying to say in his ramblings," Elsa interrupted, looking at Kristoff and then back at Anna, "is that there isn't anything in the world that's more important to us than your well-being."

For maybe the first time in her life, Anna was speechless. When she finally found her voice, it was small and quiet. "Do you really mean that?" she asked.

"I never say anything I don't mean," said Elsa, smiling at her.

"Oh Elsa." Anna extricated herself from Kristoff, knelt down in front of her sister, and gave her the tightest hug she had ever given her.

The hug seemed to last forever. When they finally let go, the sisters had tears in their eyes.

"Thank you for taking care of me," said Anna, smiling through her tears.

"That's what sisters are for," said Elsa, smiling back. They hugged again, and this time, they didn't let go.

* * *

 **Well, there you have it! Anna's back to her usual self thanks to Elsa and Dr. Olsen's careful ministrations. I loosely based Anna's sickness off myself. While I don't remember having to stay in bed for longer than a day, I do remember getting fevers and sore throats and sore, aching muscles. The last time I had a cold, I had this really awful cough that lasted at least a week. I hated being sick, but I liked having my mom take care of me. :)  
**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading! Second one coming soon! :)**


	2. Sick Elsa

**Hey guys, I am so, so, SO sorry for the delay in this chapter. I had a real hard time with it. I'm not used to writing chapters that are almost completely about Elsa, and with her being such a complicated character, I find it hard to write about her. But here it is, chapter two. I hope it doesn't disappoint. Thank you so much for the lovely reviews, faves, and follows! They mean the world to me! Hope you enjoy, and keep reviewing!**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Sick Elsa**

Elsa was not sick. She didn't have time to be sick. There was too much work to do, too many people to see, too many plans to make. Being sick meant that she would have to postpone the ball celebrating her two-year anniversary as queen of Arendelle. She was expecting a lot of important people to attend, and she did not want to ruin this night like she had ruined Anna's birthday last year. Even though Anna kept insisting that she hadn't ruined anything, she still couldn't help feeling guilty for what had happened that day.

She tried to ignore the pounding in her head and the tickle in her throat as she read and signed document after document. Over the first two years of her reign, it had been easy to teach herself to block out any pain. On the rare occasions she let slip that she wasn't feeling well, she was able to pass it off as work-related stress. She knew that she wasn't fooling anyone, but she didn't want anyone to worry. The last thing she needed was Gerda or, worse, Anna, fussing over her when she had a kingdom to run.

But being her sister, Anna had a right to worry. She was always saying that Elsa would work herself to death if she didn't make her take frequent breaks and get her to bed at a decent hour. Anna would ignore any and all protests, and she had been known on occasion to wrestle Elsa into her nightgown and into bed, and then post at least one guard outside her bedroom door to make sure she didn't come out until it was strictly necessary. When she was finally let out of her room in the morning, Anna would make sure she ate a good, decent breakfast. Anna knew that if she didn't intervene, Elsa would either have just tea and a few bites of oatmeal, or she would skip breakfast altogether. The last thing anyone needed was for the queen to collapse due to her lack of proper nourishment.

But no one was around at the moment to reason with her or make her stop working. Kai and Gerda were busy overseeing preparations for the upcoming celebration and Anna and Kristoff were off somewhere together. They had been married a few months now and they cherished every moment they got to spend together. Elsa had been only too happy to consent. Since marrying Kristoff, Anna had been the happiest Elsa had ever seen her. She enjoyed seeing her sister so happy, and was confident that she had chosen well this time around.

It took her a moment to realize that she had been gazing into space, smiling at the memory, her pen idle in her hand. She jerked herself out of her reverie and went back to work, ignoring the stabs of pain at her temples. She wasn't going to let something trivial like a headache get in the way of her working. But as the afternoon wore on, the pain in her head grew from a dull throb to a pounding against her skull.

The dinner hour came and went, but still Elsa worked on. She had to finish this paperwork tonight, and if it meant staying up until midnight or later, then so be it. In her first two years as queen, she had rarely been to bed before then, and on those rare occasions, it had been because Anna had forced her. Anna could easily sleep from ten or ten-thirty at night until ten the next morning (unless Elsa requested her to be up earlier), but Elsa could never manage to sleep for longer than a few hours. She would go to bed at midnight or later, and after a fitful night's sleep, be up again at dawn. She knew it was unhealthy to deprive herself of sleep, having been told so many times, but like her father before her, she didn't tolerate any laxness when it came to running the kingdom.

Unfortunately, it also meant that she would sometimes run herself ragged. Her nerves would get stretched to the breaking point and she would be on the verge of a mental and emotional collapse. She would then lock herself up in her study, refusing to let anyone in, including Anna, for fear of hurting someone if her powers were to spiral out of control. But thanks to Anna's love and support, these incidents were getting fewer and farther between.

She suddenly sneezed. A couple of mini snowmen appeared on her desk and started running around, scattering papers and knocking things over.

"Perfect," Elsa grumbled. "Just what I need."

Reluctantly, she got up from her chair and started chasing the snowmen around, trying to catch them. She had almost caught them all when she sneezed again and more appeared. Mentally cursing her powers, she set about chasing the second batch. Unfortunately, this seemed to be the cue for the study door to suddenly burst open and a certain redhead to come bounding in.

"Hey Elsa! I was just looking for –" Anna stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the scene before her. "Am I interrupting something?"

Elsa just stood there for a moment, her arms full of mini snowmen. The expression on her face was similar to that of a child's after getting caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "No, I'm just working," she said finally.

"Since when is playing with mini snowmen considered 'work'?" Anna asked, smirking as she emphasized the last word.

"I'm not playing with them," Elsa explained. "I'm trying to catch them."

"But I thought Kristoff already caught them all and took them up to the North Mountain," Anna said slowly. "And that was over a year ago. How could there still be some left?" She thought for a moment, and then it dawned on her. "Elsa, you're not getting sick again, are you?"

"I don't get sick," Elsa answered, shrugging off Anna's words and resuming her chase. "Besides, I don't have time to be sick. I have too much work to do."

"Elsa, everyone gets sick. It's a fact of life," Anna said. "It's not going to pass over us just because we're royalty."

Once again, Elsa just stood there, staring at Anna in disbelief. Anna thought she was going to say that she was right, but suddenly, Elsa's legs gave way under her. Anna just managed to rush over and catch her before she hit the floor. The mini snowmen fell from Elsa's arms and scattered around the room. Anna felt Elsa's forehead. It was unusually warm.

"Elsa, look at you, you've got a fever. You're burning up," said Anna, stroking her bangs back from her face. "Come on, admit it to yourself."

"Okay," said Elsa, finally conceding. "I have a cold."

Despite her sister's obvious fever, Anna kissed her forehead. "Let's get you to bed," she said. "Do you think you can stand?" Elsa nodded weakly, and Anna helped her to her feet. She swayed a bit before regaining her balance. "Now," said Anna firmly. "I'm going to tuck you into bed and then I'll have Gerda bring up a bowl of nice, hot broth. When was the last time you ate?"

"Breakfast," Elsa mumbled.

"You haven't eaten since breakfast?" said Anna, shocked. "No wonder you almost fainted. We need to get you to bed right now and get something down you."

"But –" Elsa started.

"No buts," said Anna firmly. "You need to take care of yourself. You are going to drink up all that broth, even if I have to force it down your throat."

Elsa was silent again. She knew it was no good to argue. She allowed Anna to lead her out of her study and to her bedroom, where she forced Elsa out of her day dress and into a nightgown and then into bed, tucking the covers around her.

"Now, you stay put and I'll have Gerda prepare a bowl of nice, hot broth for you," said Anna, fluffing Elsa's pillows. "And then I'm going to fetch Dr. Olsen."

"I don't need a doctor," Elsa protested.

"Yes, you do," said Anna firmly. "We need to know how high your fever is and if there is anything else to be concerned about. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Elsa sighed and leaned back against her pillows. She hated being fussed over, for any reason. This was why she never told anyone outright that she was sick. But then, it did make a nice change being the one that everyone took care of instead of her always taking care of everyone.

Elsa got lost in her thoughts and was absent-mindedly shooting small snowflakes from her fingertips when there was a knock on the door and Anna came back in, followed by Dr. Olsen.

"Good evening, Your Majesty," said Dr. Olsen, politely inclining his head. "It's nice to see you, though I wish it could be under better circumstances."

"So do I," Elsa replied, trying to sit up so she could look a little more dignified.

"Well, let's see how you're doing," said Dr. Olsen, taking a chair by her bed and opening his black medical bag. He performed the same check-up he had done on Anna when she had been sick, taking her temperature, checking for swelling in her throat, and listening to her breathing and heartbeat. "Good news, Your Majesty. Your vitals are just fine."

"So I can go back to work?" Elsa asked.

"Not quite yet, I'm afraid, Your Majesty," Dr. Olsen replied. "You still have a fever. I would recommend that you not leave your bed or this room until it breaks, at least a day or two."

"A day or two?" Elsa asked in disbelief. "How am I supposed to perform my regular royal duties when I'm stuck in bed?"

"I'm sure your sister would be more than willing to help out," Dr. Olsen replied, smiling. "I know you're important, that the world can't go on without you, but you can't take care of others if you don't take care of yourself first. At times like this, it's okay to put your needs ahead of everyone else's."

"I think you've been spending too much time with Anna," Elsa muttered.

"But he's right, Elsa," said Anna, sitting on the bed beside her sister. "I know you're so used to taking care of others, but now it's time for others to take care of you. And I'll be right here to make sure of that." She took Elsa's hand in hers.

"Well, I think the queen is in good hands," said Dr. Olsen, repacking his bag and standing up. "I will be back to check on you again in the morning. Good night, Your Majesty, Your Highness." After a polite nod to each of the sisters, he left the room, closing the door softly behind him.

"Well, I must say you're doing a lot better than when I last got sick," said Anna. "Remember how I was? I could barely remember what happened that first day, I was in such a haze. I had pretty much every cold symptom you could have: headache, dizziness, fever, sore throat, hacking cough, aching limbs, and chills. It was a wonder I didn't die. But thanks to you and Dr. Olsen, I was back to my usual self within a week." She smiled, trying to lighten the mood, but Elsa didn't respond. She was staring off into space with a pensive look on her face.

"I just don't understand," she said finally. "How did I get sick? I've never been sick before."

"Yes, you have," Anna countered. "Remember my birthday last year? You had a fever then, too, and you sneezed so many times that you created hundreds of those little mini snowmen, same as the ones you were just chasing in your office. And I think I remember another incident when we were younger. I was about nine, which made you about twelve. I overheard Mama and Papa talking about you. I heard the word "relapse". Of course, I didn't know about your powers back then, so I just thought you were sick or something. But now I know better." She smiled. "Actually, you're doing better than I thought you would. You haven't sneezed once since I brought you in here."

The words were barely out of her mouth when Elsa suddenly let out a violent sneeze, coating part of her blanket with frost and causing half a dozen more mini snowmen to appear.

"Whoa, I guess I spoke too soon, huh?" said Anna, smiling again.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. "Your Highness?" It was Gerda. "I've brought the broth you requested for your sister."

"It's Gerda!" said Anna, scrambling off the bed. She started chasing the snowmen around the room, trying to catch them, but to no avail. "Elsa, can't you make these disappear or something?"

"I can try," said Elsa. She twirled her fingers in the direction of the snowmen, but nothing happened. "Hmm. I guess not."

"Maybe they'll disappear once you're better?" Anna suggested half-heartedly.

"Maybe," Elsa replied.

Anna answered the door, opening it just wide enough so that Gerda didn't see the mess the little snowmen were now making of Elsa's room, took the bowl of broth, and after a hurried, whispered exchange with the maid, closed it again. She brought it over to the bed and handed it to Elsa.

"Now, I want you to drink every last drop of this good broth," said Anna. "Even if you don't feel hungry. I had Gerda make it special, so we both know that it will help you feel better."

Being the good queen – and sister – that she was, Elsa took a sip of the broth. It was Gerda's famous chicken broth, the broth she always made for Anna when she would get sick. It was hot, but not too hot.

Anna sat by her side until she drank every last drop, and when the bowl was empty, she handed it back to her. "There," she said, smiling. "Are you happy now?"

"Very," said Anna, smiling back. "Feel better?"

"Actually, yes," Elsa answered.

"Good," said Anna, seemingly satisfied. "You should rest now. It's been a long day for you."

"I actually do feel a little tired," Elsa admitted, stifling a yawn behind her hand.

"I'll leave you to settle in then while I return this bowl to the kitchen," said Anna, standing up and making her way towards the door. "I'll come right back up to check on you one last time before I go to bed." She stopped halfway to the door and turned back to Elsa. "On second thought, it might be better if I stay with you tonight, just to make sure you're okay." Elsa opened her mouth to protest, but before she could say a word, Anna had already bounced out the door.

Shaking her head in a mixture of amusement and exasperation, Elsa snuggled down under her blankets. She smiled as she settled herself into a comfortable position. She wouldn't admit it to Anna, but she rather enjoyed being looked after by someone. Her last thought was of her dear little sister before she drifted off into an easy, peaceful sleep.

* * *

When Elsa awoke the next morning, it was still dim out. Her diamond-patterned window showed a gray sky devoid of any color, which meant that it was early morning, just before dawn, she expected. She heard soft breathing close by and turned her head to find Anna sprawled on the bed beside her, her mouth open and drool dribbling from it, her hair a rat's nest as it always was when she was sleeping. Her arms and legs were twisted at awkward angles, which made Elsa wonder how her sister could sleep like that.

She thought about waking Anna up early just for fun, but then decided against it. She knew how Anna was about mornings, and if she was woken up at an ungodly hour (any time before ten), she was a force to be reckoned with. Elsa was used to getting up early. She felt that the whole day was wasted if she slept past dawn. It was a habit she had started in the three years between her parents' death and her coronation, and one that was hard to break.

Trying not to disturb Anna, which really wasn't a difficult task, as she was dead asleep, Elsa got out of bed and went over to her desk in a corner of her room, where a stack of papers lay on top. Unbeknownst to Anna, who, of course, had been sleeping, Elsa had snuck out of her room to her study down the hall and grabbed some of the paperwork she had been working on the day before. Knowing that even Dr. Olsen would still be sleeping, she decided she might as well do something constructive to pass the time until her next check-up.

While she worked, the sun rose, casting a soft, golden glow around the room. Around mid-morning, she heard Anna stirring in the bed and turned around to see her sister sitting up, stretching and yawning. "Good morning, Anna," she said, before turning back to her paperwork.

"Morning," said Anna, through another huge yawn. She looked around and when she saw where Elsa was, she was suddenly wide awake. "Elsa, what are you doing?" she asked sharply.

"I just thought I would get some work done this morning before Dr. Olsen came up to check on me," said Elsa, shrugging.

"Elsa, no, you're supposed to stay _in bed_ ," said Anna, getting out of bed and coming over to her. She laid a hand on Elsa's forehead. It was still warm. "You still have a fever."

"I feel fine," said Elsa, removing Anna's hand from her forehead and bending over her work again.

"Elsa, you might not be able to feel heat, but I can, and so can Dr. Olsen," said Anna. "It's just like you told me when I got sick last time. Even though you feel fine, you have to stay in bed until Dr. Olsen gives you the okay to go back to your daily duties. In fact, I'm going to fetch him right now." She started toward the door.

"But Anna –"

"No more buts, Elsa," said Anna firmly. "Once again, I am putting my foot down. Now you get back to bed and stay there until I come back."

Reluctantly, Elsa abandoned her work and made her way back to bed, under Anna's stern and watchful eyes. Only when she was completely tucked in again did Anna leave to get Dr. Olsen.

Elsa sighed and flumped back against her pillows. She hated being idle. As the queen, she was always doing something, and in the two years of her reign, she had never once neglected her duties. Sure, she gave all the castle staff Sundays off, but as the queen, her duties didn't stop just because of a pesky cold. She couldn't afford to take too much time off work, and on the rare occasions when she did, she worried that the kingdom would collapse if she wasn't doing something.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door, announcing the return of Anna with Dr. Olsen.

"Good morning, Your Majesty," said Dr. Olsen, smiling as he came into the room. "I hope you slept well?"

"As well as can be expected, Dr. Olsen," Elsa replied, smiling back.

"Well, let's see how you're doing today," said Dr. Olsen, sitting down on the edge of the bed and opening his black bag. He performed the same check-up as the previous evening and when he was finished, he stood up, smiling. "I have good news. You are progressing quite well, Your Majesty. Your fever has gone down some since last night and you still have no other symptoms. However, you are a little warm yet, so I would highly recommend that you stay in bed until the fever breaks, at least one more day. Your Highness, I'm counting on you to make sure your sister stays in bed resting."

"You don't have to worry about that," said Anna. "I'll be here all day."

"Well, then I guess you won't be needing me," said Dr. Olsen, making his way to the door. "I'll be back to check on you this evening. Good day." He respectfully bowed his head before he left, leaving the two sisters alone.

"Well," said Anna, breaking the silence. "I'm going to get dressed, and then I'm going to see Gerda about some breakfast for the two of us."

"Wait, Anna," said Elsa, catching her sister just before she reached the door. "Didn't you and Kristoff have plans to stay at the cabin this weekend?"

On the edge of the woods was a little cabin that Kristoff had built when he was in his late teens and old enough to be on his own. He had lived in it by himself (unless you counted Sven) until he had met Anna. Even though he and Anna were now married and he was living in the castle with her and Elsa, he still kept the cabin well-maintained and in some semblance of order, for the rare occasion when he and Anna wanted some time alone, just the two of them.

"Well, yeah, we did," said Anna, fiddling with a ribbon on her nightgown. "But last night before I joined you for our 'sleepover', I told Kristoff that you were sick and that I wanted to stay with you until you got better. He was very understanding. Don't get me wrong, I love Kristoff and love spending time with him, but there are things that I do with you that I just can't do with him, if you know what I mean."

Elsa smiled. "Well, just this once, I'm glad you chose me over him," she said. "Now, what about breakfast? I'm starving."

Anna bounced to the door. "I'll go see what Gerda can spare for us this morning," she said before leaving Elsa alone again.

It seemed like just a few minutes before Anna returned, fully dressed and her tamed into her signature braids, carrying a full breakfast tray.

"Well, Gerda seems to have a sixth sense or something," she said, going over to the bed and setting the tray down. "She already had a tray prepared for us. It's like she knew we'd be needing one."

"We'll have to remember to thank her later," said Elsa, smiling and pulling the tray towards her. "Oh, look, she prepared our favorites."

For Anna, there was a short stack of chocolate chip pancakes drizzled with chocolate syrup and a mug of hot cocoa with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. For Elsa, there was a bowl of oatmeal topped with fresh fruit and a cup of peppermint tea.

"Mmm," said Elsa, taking a sip of her tea.

"Blech, I don't know how you can drink that stuff," said Anna, pulling a face.

"It helps calm me down when I'm upset," said Elsa, setting her cup down and taking a bite of her oatmeal. "Besides, tea is better for you, anyway."

"Pfft, like you need to watch what you eat," said Anna. "You're slimmer than me." She shoved a bite of pancake into her mouth. "And more graceful," she mumbled around her mouthful.

"Speaking of which, I'm surprised Gerda let you carry that tray all the way up here by yourself," said Elsa teasingly.

"Yeah, usually, she doesn't let me carry heavy things, because of my uncanny ability to trip over non-existent things and then dropping whatever I'm carrying," said Anna, perking up. "But this time, I made it all the way up here without stumbling once!" She grinned with self-pride.

"I'm proud of you, Anna," said Elsa, smiling at her.

"Thanks, Elsa," said Anna, blushing in embarrassment.

The rest of the morning passed in pleasurable company, with the two sisters bantering back and forth and talking about everything and nothing. It was around noon when Elsa suddenly fell silent. Anna, of course, didn't notice and kept talking.

"And then, if you can believe it, he threw me over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes," Anna prattled. "I started hitting him on the back – playfully, of course – but he refused to put me down. Next thing I knew – Elsa?" She suddenly noticed that Elsa was no longer looking at her, but around the room.

"Elsa, what's wrong?" Anna asked in a concerned voice.

"You remember those mini snowmen I sneezed up last night?" Elsa asked slowly.

"Yeah," said Anna, just as slowly.

"Whatever happened to them?" Elsa asked.

Anna looked around. Elsa was right; there was no evidence of the mini snowmen from the previous evening.

"I don't know," said Anna. "Maybe they melted away on their own overnight while we were sleeping?"

"It's possible, I suppose," said Elsa thoughtfully. "I've never considered it."

"Or they could have hooked up with Olaf," said Anna, smiling.

"That would be a disaster," said Elsa. "Can you imagine what Olaf would get up to with those things tagging along with him?"

"No more than his usual mischief, I would think," said Anna, smiling even wider. "Besides, he'll probably just think you made him more little brothers." She ducked the pillow that Elsa threw at her.

Anna threw the pillow back at Elsa, and what had started out as playful teasing soon turned into the longest, most furious pillow fight the sisters had ever had. Finally, after more than an hour, Anna collapsed next to Elsa on the bed, both of them exhausted, but still laughing uncontrollably.

"Wow, I can't remember the last time we had one of those," said Anna, still breathless.

"I can," said Elsa. "And I'm sorry they stopped."

Anna took Elsa's hand and squeezed it, smiling at her. Elsa smiled back.

A knock on the door interrupted their sisterly moment. "Your Majesty?" It was Gerda. "Dr. Olsen is here. He says he wishes to check up on you before he sees to other patients."

Anna scrambled off the bed to pick up the stray feathers that littered the floor before she opened the door to let Dr. Olsen in.

"Good afternoon, Your Majesty, Your Highness," he said, smiling and nodding to each of them in turn. "I apologize for being early, but as it so happens, I have other appointments, and I fear I won't return until late this evening."

"That's quite all right, Dr. Olsen," said Elsa. She had almost forgotten that she had given Dr. Olsen free reign to help anyone who was sick or injured, not just the royal family. As a fair and just ruler, Elsa believed that even the lowliest of peasants in her kingdom deserved the best care possible. "In fact, I feel next to normal."

"Well, let's let me be the judge of that, shall we?" Dr. Olsen asked, smiling.

Once again, Dr. Olsen performed the same check-up he had done on his previous visits. This one took shorter than the others and he was again smiling after finishing.

"This is quite surprising, Your Majesty," he said as he packed away his things. "It seems you pulled through much quicker than I thought. Your fever has completely gone and you seem back to perfect health."

Elsa sighed in relief. "That's wonderful, Dr. Olsen, thank you," she said.

"Not so fast, Your Majesty," said Dr. Olsen, holding up a hand. "You may still feel the after-effects of your fever, so I highly recommend that you take at least one more day off, just to rest."

"But what about my duties?" Elsa asked.

"Elsa, Arendelle will be able to do without you for one more day," Anna said. "Thank you so much for all your help, Dr. Olsen."

"It was my pleasure, Your Highness," said Dr. Olsen, smiling before he walked out the door and disappeared down the hallway.

* * *

The sisters spent the next day out in the warm spring sunshine. Anna insisted that the reason was so Elsa could get some fresh air after being cooped up in the castle for two days. But her real reason – that she didn't tell Elsa – was that she wanted to keep her sister as far away from her study as possible, so she wouldn't be tempted to work. Even though it was spring and the weather was pleasantly warm, and despite the fact that Elsa was practically immune to the cold, Anna had insisted that she wear a light cloak. Like Elsa had said at the end of her (Anna's) cold, she didn't want to take any chances of Elsa catching something else.

They were currently walking arm and arm in the gardens, stopping every now and then to collect some flowers to brighten up the castle. Well, Anna was. Elsa was more content to work on a new "art form" with her magic. She was currently experimenting with creating delicate ice flowers, but couldn't quite get a handle on it. Every flower she had tried to make so far either fell apart before she was finished or turned out somewhat deformed, causing her to melt it and start over again. Of course, she had only started her experimentation that morning, so she had all the rest of the day, and many more days besides, to perfect it.

"You're thinking too hard, Elsa," said Anna, seeing Elsa frown at yet another failed attempt. Her arms were now full with fragrant flowers from the garden.

"Maybe I'm losing my touch," said Elsa, dissolving the slightly deformed flower with a twirl of her fingers. The ice dissipated into blue sparkles before disappearing completely.

"You are not losing your touch," said Anna firmly, standing in front of her sister, forcing her to stop and look into her eyes. "You just need more practice, is all." She smiled encouragingly.

Elsa sighed. "You're probably right. But I think I've had enough practice for today. Besides, we have to find vases of water before those beautiful flowers of yours wilt."

Anna smiled and sniffed the flowers in her arms. She giggled and skipped happily next to Elsa as they made their way back inside.

After finding vases for Anna's massive bouquet (which took an inordinate amount of time, as she wanted every single arrangement to look just so), the two sisters ate a light dinner before retiring to the library for the evening. They were both sitting on the sofa, one on each end, their backs to each other, reading. They had barely been reading for half an hour when Anna just had to break the silence.

"You know," she said thoughtfully, putting her book down. "I was just thinking."

"That's never a good sign," said Elsa, turning a page in her own book.

Anna continued as though she hadn't heard Elsa's comment. "This may sound weird, but I'm almost glad that we got sick."

"I beg your pardon?" said Elsa, twisting around to get a better look at Anna.

"No, I mean it," said Anna, swinging her legs to the floor and also looking at Elsa. "They were the rare times that we got to spend time together, just the two of us. No, hear me out. I know it's not the best time to spend together, with one of us being sick and the other not, but I feel that it's helping to bring us back together as sisters again. We're each learning to trust the other to take care of us during those times."

Elsa took a moment to digest what Anna had just said. Normally, she would just ramble on and on about the most mundane things, but there were times, like right now, when what she said was so profound that it made you stop and think. "You're right," she said finally. "I'm so glad that I was able to be there for you, and that you were here for me."

"Me, too," said Anna, smiling. "What you said."

The sisters hugged. Love came through for them before and it had come through for them again. There was no stronger bond than that of family, and the two young royals were living proof of that bond.

* * *

 **Typical stubborn Elsa, refusing to admit that she's sick and refusing the offer of help. :) Oh, for a little fun, I paid a little homage to the "Frozen Fever" short in this chapter. Did you catch it? ;)  
**

 **Thanks for reading! Keep watch for future stories! :)**


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